Photo by Beats Rhymes and Life Academy

Photo by Beats Rhymes and Life Academy ♦
Beginning in late October and running through January, the Oakland Public Library and Oakland Parks and Recreation Department will be hosting a hip hop workshop series for marginalized young men of East and West Oakland’s neighborhoods. In partnership with Oakland nonprofit Beats Rhymes and Life Academy (BRL), these workshops are therapy-based, centering around team building, skill honing, and positive self-expression. The 20-week-long program for youth ages 12-19 will culminate in a collaborative album and a showcase for their communities.

BRL is a one-of-its-kind organization that brings together mental health clinicians, teaching artists, and peer mentors to create a therapeutic program rooted in hip hop. Engaging youth in holistic development through a relaxed and enriching setting also breaks down the stigma associated with seeking/receiving mental health services.

According to a 2011 study by Oakland Fund for Children and Youth, less than half of African-American and Latino male students in Oakland graduate from high school. Often referred to as “transition-aged youth (TAY),” many people who grow up under harsh circumstances outside of their control are not well-equipped to enter into the adult world, and are failed by most mainstream services. It takes an out-of-the-box understanding of, and approach to, TAY needs, like those that Beats Rhymes and Life offers, to make the path to adulthood successful.

At-risk youth (or rather at-promise youth, as BRL puts it) build self-esteem, creative and critical thinking skills, coping strategies, and trust through BRL’s programs. As demonstrated by their pilot program, the young men who participated in the Hip Hop Therapy group reported feeling more confident and less likely to engage in risky behaviors.

BRL’s Hip Hop Therapy program will take place on Tuesdays 4:30-6:30 at the 81st Avenue Library, and Fridays 4:30-6:30 at Arroyo Viejo Park Rec Center.

For more information on hip hop therapy workshops or to apply for the program, click here.
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Sexy charming French maid

Sexy charming French maid
A French maid has never looked so steamy. Voluptuous curves are showcased by this French maid outfit. If you wear it to a Halloween party, you can invite your friends on the party to some refreshing drinks or some snack, I guess your friend have no reasons to turn down your invitation, because you are such a hot maid who will make the food and the beverage more tasty. The low-cut neckline is trimmed in white frills, which gather at each cup, which means it will show your full breast perfectly. Ruffled, elasticized, short sleeves gather at the upper arm, and a sexy, white ribbon laces up the entire midsection, bringing attention to the waist, which is exactly a real French maid would wear when they are serving their host. The super-short skirt has volume and bounce, thanks to an attached gauzy petticoat, which peeks out from underneath the hem, so if you meet a man that you like you might find a chance to bend over in front of him, he will definitely put his eyes on you, isn’t that alluring? A white, lacy apron adorns the dress and wraps around the waist.

13 Sexiest Halloween Costumes for 2014

cheap sexy lingerie Wholesale Halloween Costumes Sexy Halloween Costumes Online13 Sexiest Halloween Costumes for 2014
It's that time of year again. It's time to start thinking about all the sexy things you can be for sexy Halloween.

I scoured BuyCostumes.com to see what's new for 2014 (i.e. I did my research). Ketchup bottles are So Out. Humanoid turtles are So In. Don't even think about showing

up in last year's sexy Tootsie Roll costume because people will straight barf in your face.

I was most disappointed that there were no sexy Elsa or Anna costumes. That just seems like a missed opportunity for the costume industry. What am I, as a mother of a

Frozen fan, supposed to wear when I take my kids trick-or-treating? Must I settle for sexy Cinderella? How obvious. How blandly classic. Where's my sexy Olaf costume?

Where's my sexy Duke of Weselton?

Which sexy costume will you be donning for Halloween 2014?